Flush tank siphon



y 8, 1963 w. e. GOULD FLUSH TANK SIPHON Filed March 13, 1961 William 6. Gould INVENTOR.

BY and Uni Srts 3,090,966 FLUSH TANK SIPHON William G. Gould, 419 Howard St., San Angelo, Tex. Filed Mar. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 95,251 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-50) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in means for emptying the flush tank of a toilet and more particularly to a flush tank siphon of simplified design specifically adapted to provide a means whereby the flush tank of a toilet may be emptied by a siphoning process and with a minimum amount of eifort.

There have in the past been many different methods devised for emptying toilet flush tanks and the most widely used method involves a mechanism which is highly susceptible to malfunctioning and oftentimes causes considerable difficulty. The most widely used means for emptying toilet flush tanks utilizes a stopper type plunger mounted in the flush tankfor vertical movement toward and away from the outlet opening formed in the bottom of the flush tank. When the emptying means is actuated, the stopper type plunger is raised to an upper position whereupon the water within the flush tank flows outwardly through the outlet opening formed therein. As the water level in the tank lowers the buoyant stopper is also lowered until the water level within the tank is lowered to a point suflicient to again engage the stopper with the outlet opening. However, the stopper is mounted for guided vertical movement in an inferior manner and the water rushing outwardly through the outlet opening of conventional flush tanks is quite often capable of effecting sufficient turbulence to cause the stopper to be misaligned with the outlet opening thereby preventing the stopper from seating completely in the outlet opening.

It has long been realized that a siphoning apparatus would constitute .the easiest method of draining water from a flush tank but siphoning apparatuses used for this purpose in the past have encountered difiiculty with the means by which a siphoning action was started.

It is therefore the main object of this invention to provide a flush tank siphon constructed in a manner whereby a siphoning process may be readily initiated with a minimum amount of effort and in an effective and highly dependable manner.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the preceding object, is to provide a flush tank siphon constructed of a minimum number of parts. 7

Still another object of this invention is to provide a flush tank siphon including means for automatically discontinuing the siphoning process and introducing air into the siphoning apparatus after the water level in the flush tank has reached a predetermined lower level in order that the siphoning process will be gradually interrupted and the noise of the siphoning process being terminated will be maintained at a minimum. A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a flush tank siphon which will conformkto conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to operate so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a conventional form of toilet flush tank shown with the flush tank siphon of the instant invention mounted therein, parts of the flush tank being broken away and shown in section;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a longitudinal plane passing through the center of the flush tank and the outlet opening formed therein with the movable portion of the flush tank siphon shown in an upper position; and,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 2 but showing the movable portion of the siphon in a lower position.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional type of flush tank which includes a removable top 12 and a bottom wall 14. A plurality of side walls 16 extend upward- 1y from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 14 and terminate at their upper ends in a horizontal plane therebv enablin: the top 12 to be positioned thereover.

An outlet opening 18 is formed in the bottom wall 14 and the siphon member of the instant invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 20. The siphon member includes a generally inverted U-shaped conduit member 22 having a pair of upright leg portions generally referred to by the reference numerals 24 and 26. The leg portions 24 and 26 are communicated with each other at their upper ends by means of a curved bight portion generally referred to by the reference numeral 28. The bight portion 28 may be constructed of any conventional rigid or semi-rigid material such as plastic and is provided with an upstanding lug portion 30 which is suitably apertured as at 32.

:One end of a lever arm 34 is pivotally secured to the lug portion 30 by means of pivot pin 36 and the other end of the lever arm 34 is pivotally mounted to the rear side wall 16 by means of pivot fastener 38. The flush tank 10 includes the conventional operating lever 40 which is secured to a pivotally mounted shaft 42 which has a crank arm 44 fixedly secured thereto in any con- Venient manner for rotation therewith. It will be noted that the shaft 42 may be journaled for rotation by having its opposite end portions received through apertures (not shown) formed in the front and rear side walls 16 of the tank 10. One end of a tension spring 46 may be secured to the lever arm 34 as at 48 and the other end of the tension spring 46 may be secured to the to p 12 in any convenient manner or the read side wall 16. Otherwise, the siphon member 29 may be provided with means for resiliently urging the bight portion 28 toward a raised position.

In this manner, it will be noted that the bight portion 28 is mounted for vertical movement Within the flush tank 10 and that the spring 46 normally urges the bight portion 28 to an uppermost position. The leg portion 24 includes a lower rigid tubular section generally referred to by the reference numeral 48 and an axially compressible section 50. The upper end of the section 50 is secured about the corresponding lower end of-the bight portion 28 in any convenient manner such as by adhesive material and the lower end of the section 50 is secured to the upper end of the lower rigid tubular sec tion 48 in a similar manner. The lower rigid tubular section extends through the outlet opening 18 and is provided with an externally threaded intermediate portion 52 which has a pair of nuts 54 and 56 threadedly engaged therewith and disposed above and below the bottom Wall 14 respectively. A pair of annular seals 58 and 60 are disposed between confronting surfaces of the nuts 54 and 56 and the opposing surfaces of the bottom wall 14, respectively, whereby the lower rigid tubular section 48 is secured to the bottom wall 14 in fluid tigh sealing engagement therewith.

The leg portion 26 includes a lower rigid tubing-section generally referred to by the reference numeral 62 and an axially compressible section 64. The upper end of the section 64 is secured to the corresponding end of the light portion 28 in any convenient manner such as by adhesive and the lower end of the section .64, is se- 3 cured about the upper end of the lower rigid tubing section 62.

It will be noted that the lower tubing section 62 has an aperture 66 formed therein a spaced distance from the lower end thereof and also that the lower end of the section 62 includes a plurality of depending axially extending and circumferentially spaced teeth 68. The teeth 68 comprise abutment means on the lower end of section 62 for engagement with the bottom wall 14 and to prevent the lower end of the section 62 from being disposed in sealing contacting relation with the bottom wall 14. The aperture 66 comprises means for discontinuing the siphoning process efiected by the siphon member 20 as the water level within the flush tank descends to a predetermined lower level. In operation,

' the siphon member 20 is secured within the flush tank 10 as above set forth and water is allowed to enter the flush tank 10 and rise to the high water level 70 by any conventionalmeans (not shown). .With the bight portion 28 disposed in its upper position as illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings it will be noted that the high water level is disposed below the upper portion of the interior of the bight portion 28 thus preventing the water from within the leg portion 26 from flowing upwardly and down through the leg portion 24. However, when the lever 40 is actuated to cam the free end of the lever arm 34 downwardly, the bight portion 28 is lowered to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings whereupon a flow of Water through the siphon member 20 will be efiected. The flow of water is almost immediately eifected and all air is removed from within the siphon member 20 before the bight portion 28 is allowed to return to its upper position illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

As the water continues to flow through the siphon member 20, the water level is lowered within the flush tank 10 as the water is passed outwardly through the lower rigid tubing section 48 and into the toilet bowl (not shown) disposed beneath the tank 10. As the water level is lowered to uncover the aperture 66 air is admitted into the conduit member 22 thus discontinuing the siphoning process. The aperture 66 is of a small diameter in comparison to the diameter of the lower rigid tubing section 62 and accordingly the sound of air being drawn into. the conduit member 22 is greatly reduced affording quiet operation of the siphoning member 20.

Although the section 64 need not be axially compressible it the lower rigid tubing section 62 terminated at its lower end a greater distance from the bottom wall 14, in order to make it possible for a maximum amount of water within the flush tank 10 to be discharged through the outlet opening 18, the leg portion 26, is of a length suflicient to terminate at a point spaced slightly above the bottom wall 14 when the bight portion 28 is in the uppermost position. Accordingly, if the leg portion 26 were not provided with the axially compressible section 64, the close proximity of the lower, end of the leg portion 26 with the bottom wall 14 would prevent the bight portion from being lowered a distance sufiicient to be positioned below the high water level 70. p i The teeth or fingers 68 ensure that water will be able to enter the lower end of the section 62 from the interior of the tank 10 when the bight portion 28 is in its lowermost position placing the lower end of the leg portion 26 in engagement with the bottom wall 14. In this man-.

ner, water may enter the section 62 between the fingers 68 thus preventing immediate stoppage of water flow through the leg portion 26 as the bight portion 28 'is moved to the lower position. 7 'If the spring 46 is to be omitted the axially compressible sections 50 and 64 may be made of resilient materials such as rubber or plastic. If resilient materials such as rubber are used in the construction of the sections 50 and 64 they may be made unitary with the bight portion 28 in order that the entire inverted U- shaped conduit member 22 may be constructed of one piece. Still further, the sections 50 and 64 could have coil springs or the like embeddedtherein. Thus, it will be noted that various methods of resiliently urging the bight portion 28 to an uppermost position could be used.

While jam nuts 54 and 56 together with the seals 58 and 60 have been illustrated as a means for securing the tubular section 48 through the outlet opening 18, it is to be understood that any other suitable means may be used for this purpose.

Finally, the water level in the toilet bowl (not shown) may be raised after'flushing by the provision of a small diameter tube (not shown) leading from the water supply to the leg portion 24, whereby the flow of water from the water supply into the flush tank 10 after flushing will also raise the water level in the toilet bowl to the desired level. 7

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a flush tank of the type including a bottom wall having an outlet opening formed therein and a high water level, a siphon member for siphoning water from the interior of said tank outwardly of said outlet opening, said siphon member comprising a generally inverted U-shaped conduit member including a pair of upright leg portions communicated at their upper ends by means of a bight portion, one of said legs having means on its lower end sealingly securing said one leg to said bottom wall in said outlet opening, at least said one leg including a resilient, axially compressible section, and means mounting said bight portion in said tank for movement between an upper non-flushing position above said high water level and a lower flushing position below said high water level, the other leg including a resilient axially compressible section andbeing engageable with the bottom wall for compressing the second-named section, said other leg further including circumferentially spaced and axially projecting abutment means on the lower end thereof for engagement with said bottom wall to maintain the lower end of said other leg a spaced distance above said bottom wall, said other leg still further including siphon discontinuing means a spaced distance above the lower end thereof. a

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said siphon discontinuing means comprises an aperture formed in said other leg substantially smaller in diameter thanthe inside diameter of said leg.

3. In combination with a flush tank of the type including a bottom wall having an outlet opening formed therein and a high water level, a siphon member -for siphoning water from the interior of said tank outwardly of said outlet opening, said siphon member comprising a generally inverted U-shaped conduit member including 'a pair of upright leg portions communicated at their upper ends by means of a bight portion, one of said legs having means on its lower end sealingly securing said one leg to said bottom wall in said outlet opening, at least said one leg including a resilient, axially compressible section, and means mounting said bight portion in said tank for movement between an upper non-flushing position above said high water level and a lower flushing position pending the siphon member from said lever, a shaft journaled in the tank and extending transversely across the lever at an intermediate point and in vertically spaced relation thereto, an arm on an intermediate portion of the shaft cammingly engaged with the lever for swinging 5 same downwardly for lowering the siphon member, a spring connected to said other end portion of the lever for swinging same upwardly, and an operating lever on one end portion of the shaft.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Fulton Nov. 7, 1916 Gallagher Oct. 5, 926

FOREIGN PATENTS France Aug. 20, 1956 Belgium Feb. 15, 1958 

3. IN COMBINATION WITH A FLUSH TANK OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A BOTTOM WALL HAVING AN OULET OPENING FORMED THEREIN AND A HIGH WATER LEVEL, A SIPHON MEMBER FOR SIPHONING WATER FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID TANK OUTWARDLY OF SAID OUTLET OPENING, SAID SIPHON MEMBER COMPRISING A GENERALLY INVERTED U-SHAPED CONDUIT MEMBER INCLUDING A PAIR OF UPRIGHT LEG PORTIONS COMMUNICATED AT THEIR UPPER ENDS BY MEANS OF A BIGHT PORTION, ONE OF SAID LEGS HAVING MEANS ON ITS LOWER END SEALINGLY SECURING SAID ONE LEG TO SAID BOTTOM WALL IN SAID OUTLET OPENING, AT LEAST SAID ONE LEG INCLUDING A RESILIENT, AXIALLY COMPRESSIBLE SECTION, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID BIGHT PORTION IN SAID TANK FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN UPPER NON-FLUSHING POSITION ABOVE SAID HIGH WATER LEVEL AND A LOWER FLUSHING POSITION BELOW SAID HIGH WATER LEVEL THE OTHER LEG INCLUDING A RESILIENT AXIALLY COMPRESSIBLE SECTION AND BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH THE BOTTOM WALL FOR COMPRESSING THE SECONDNAMED SECTION, SAID MOUNTING MEANS INCLUDING A VERTICALLY SWINGABLE LEVER OPERABLE IN THE TANK AND HAVING ONE END PORTION PIVOTALLY SECURED THERETO AND ITS OTHER END PORTION PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BIGHT PORTION FOR SUSPENDING THE SIPHON MEMBER FROM SAID LEVER, A SHAFT JOURNALED IN THE TANK AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE LEVER AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT AND IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION THERETO, AN ARM ON AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE SHAFT CAMMINGLY ENGAGED WITH THE LEVER FOR SWINGING SAME DOWNWARDLY FOR LOWERING THE SIPHON MEMBER, A SPRING CONNECTED TO SAID OTHER END PORTION OF THE LEVER FOR SWINGING SAME UPWARDLY, AND AN OPERATING LEVER ON ONE END PORTION OF THE SHAFT. 